A/C 101 - How Central Air Units Operate

Posted by Roxann on April 2nd, 2021

Can you picture life without cooling? Sweltering heat waves that can melt the rubber on your shoes, cook an egg on the dashboard of your vehicle, and make it nearly difficult to have a great night's rest-- sounds unpleasant!

Let's face it, life without A/C would not be the same. Did you know, that before the 20th century, ice was really gathered for refrigeration? It was cut into 1-ton blocks, provided throughout the nation and utilized in 'ice-boxes' to keep food fresh. The good news is today, refrigeration has actually been considerably improved since its intro in 1834.

By knowing how your house's A/C system works, you'll have the ability to make it run better and longer, and if it needs to break throughout the pet dog days of summertime, more confident discovering a replacement.

What is Central Air Conditioning?

Because the 1960s, central air systems have been the most typical design of cooling in America.

Best characterized by the condenser system outside and ducts carrying cool air throughout the house, a main air conditioning is often described as a "split-system" due to the fact that the indoor and outside components are separated.

How It Works

Comparable to how a sponge takes in water, central air conditioners soak up the heat from inside the house and eject it outside through a procedure called "the refrigeration cycle."

It's simple to comprehend how an air conditioning unit works when you see how the parts run together.

Parts of an Air Conditioning System

Divide into two parts; a system air conditioning maintenance edmonton will consist of an outdoor condenser system (below) and a coil housed on top of the furnace or inside air handler. The outdoor condenser, which does most of the work, runs in tandem with the air handler/furnace that disperses the conditioned air into spaces of your house.

The Refrigeration Cycle

The cooling process starts when the thermostat detects the interior temperature level has actually risen above the setpoint. It signifies the control board in the air handler and enters into action.

1) The internal blower attracts the hot, moist indoor air from the return ducts into the air handler/furnace cabinet to be conditioned.

2) Filthy air getting in the cabinet initially travels through an air filter that traps dirt and debris.

3) The tidy air then goes through the evaporator coil. Using metal fins to increase its area, the evaporator coil extracts heat and wetness from the warm air as the air travels through it. The clean, cool air is circulated throughout the house.

4) A set of copper tubes consisting of refrigerant, called a Line Set, link the indoor coil with the outside condenser.

5) The condenser dissipates the heat caught inside the line originating from the evaporator coil by biking it through its coils where a fan on top presses air to speed up the process. The refrigerant is then compressed and takes a trip back to the indoor evaporator coil, where the cooling process continues.

HEATING AND COOLING Cheat Sheet

It's a great concept to familiarize yourself with the technical language used by HVAC professionals to understand your system when it concerns making repairs or buying a new system.

HVAC - Stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. This acronym is used to classify all devices used to control air temperature, humidity, and air quality.

Split-System - In referral to parts of the system operating both indoors and outdoors. In a split system, the condensing system is discovered outside.

BTU - British Thermal Systems - a measurement of how much heat energy can be removed from the air in an hour.

Load - A measurement that describes the cooling capability your system can provide under normal conditions. 1 Lot amounts to around 12,000 BTU's. Lots are often utilized when sizing an unit for your home, which can be determined based upon the square video required to be cooled or heated up.

Unmatched Proficiency

Easily, the furnace, a/c, and electrical systems all work immediately, without us requiring to fumble around in the basement or worse, a hot attic. Up until something goes incorrect.

Finding out about your cooling system might seem frustrating at first, however as soon as you have the basics down, you'll be able to comprehend not just how your system works, but likewise analyze jargon to make purchasing a replacement simple.